Prelude, 1997-00: You get drafted 43rd by Phoenix, and they waive you on the eve of the season. It sucks, but getting cut is not even close to the worst thing that’s ever happened to you. Basketball is life, but it’s not real life. None of it is easy. You head to the CBA, to Australia, to Venezuela. You ball out, because you’re Stephen Jackson.

New Jersey, 2000-01: You’re 22 years old, and the Nets give you a shot. Your formative professional influences are now Byron Scott, Kenyon Martin and Stephon Marbury. You get free, fresh socks every game. Starbury takes you under his wing. The team goes 26-46, and you average 8.2 points in 21.6 minutes per game. People in the league know you now.

San Antonio, 2001-03: In the offseason, you’re signed by the smartest franchise in the NBA. Later, ex-Spurs assistant coach Mike Brown says you were “probably the most talented player on the team.” Duncan, Parker, old David Robinson and Bruce Bowen are on the same team. You’re wild, though, and you only play in 23 games that first season.

The following season, San Antonio wins 60 games and the title, beating your former team in the Finals. You’re the Spurs’ third-leading scorer in the playoffs, right between Tony and Manu. You make big shots. You’re Stephen Jackson. You’re about to get paid.

Atlanta, 2003-04: You misjudge the free agent market, or at least that’s what people say, and you land in Atlanta. You put up 18.1 points, 4.6 rebounds, 3.1 assists and 1.8 steals per game. It’s basically you, Jason Terry, Shareef Abdur-Rahim and a bunch of dudes. You’re the tenth-highest paid player on a team that wins 28 games. At least it’s Atlanta.

Indiana, 2004-07: You get traded for Al Harrington; you’re a Pacer now because Larry Bird, Indiana’s Team President and one of the sharpest basketball executives alive, likes you. You play for Rick Carlisle, alongside Ron Artest, on whom you immediately imprint. When he scrambles into the stands to fight some fans, you go, too, leading with your fists.

They’ll never say you’re soft. They’ll never say you’re not a rider.

Golden State, 2007-09: You get traded for Mike Dunleavy and Troy Murphy; you’re a Warrior now, not because you’re not playing well, but because you’re Stephen Jackson. Your first game back in Indiana, you hang 36 points on the Pacers. You’re a two-way star, a talent actualizing his prime, versus Dallas in the playoffs. You make people believe!

Over the next few seasons, you bond with Baron Davis and Matt Barnes, and in Nellie’s permissive system, you bump up your averages:

Charlotte, 2009-11: You get hurt, wear out your welcome in the Bay Area, and get traded to the Bobcats for Raja Bell and Vladimir Radmanovic. Michael Jordan likes you. You score 43 points, a franchise record, lead the team to its first playoff appearance, record Charlotte’s first triple-double, and finish 12th in MVP voting. You are Stephen Jackson.

Milwaukee, 2011-12: You get traded to the Bucks, because now you’re just some oddball asset, in exchange for Corey Maggette (to the Bobcats) and John Salmons (to the Kings). You almost don’t show up, but you do, and then the Bucks trade you back to the Warriors for Monta Ellis. Two days later, Golden State trades you to San Antonio. Whatever.

San Antonio, 2012-13: You are 33 now, and you’re definitely Kawhi Leonard’s backup. He’s 20. He’s who you used to be. At first, it’s nice just to be off the merry-go-round. In the 2012 playoffs, you join the 50-60-90 club, playing 21 minutes a night. It’s all good, until the Thunder knock out the Spurs. You feel less necessary. People are forgetting.

In 2012-13, you average 6.2 points in 55 games. You remind Serge Ibaka about the order of things. San Antonio cuts you loose before the playoffs, then makes the Finals. It’s not easy. You’re almost gone.

Los Angeles, yesterday: You get signed by the Clippers, who need wing depth after your buddy Barnes, J.J. Redick and Reggie Bullock are lost to injuries. You’ve suited up for more than a quarter of the league’s teams now. The first 11 years of your career, your average annual PER was 14.1, a bit below league average; the last two seasons, it’s 9.4 and dropping. You’re renowned more for your persona, off-courtexploits, and overall toughness than for your basketball performance. You’ve always been able to play, though. People either believe in you or think you’re emblematic of everything the NBA needs less of. You’re a little crazy, a little tired. You’re older, but still potent, a well-worn battle axe. You’re going to play in Boston on Wednesday night.

I hope Jackson can bring some life back to this team! Since J.J. and Barnes been out, the team hasn’t played well.

Kenneth Armstrong

Hopefully he can bring some “ugly” back to the Clips. Barnes was our man for that. Also miss Reggie Evans and Kenyon’s toughness in the front court. This team needs a little more attitude.

http://2epicbits.com/ theSUBVERSIVE

Clippers sure do.

Pacers for instance, they play with that edge, mentally, that’s one of the toughest teams out there. Guys there compete and don’t back don’t, they don’t usually shrink or disappear. And that’s what amkes me believe that they shall beat the Heat. I’m not a Pacers fan but I hope they do.

That’s not by chance, you can CLEARLY see Larry Bird’s blueprint. Bird has showed that he is one of the most capable managers, be it as a coach or as a GM.

Only guys on the Clippers that I can see that same energy is CP3, Redick and Barnes. That’s not something you learn, you are just born with it and I really wished Blake was one of them. Actually, in his first year, I thought he was, no matter how many times people knocked him down, he would keep going, keep attacking but ever since CP3 showed up, Blake took the backseat and never went back to that.

I think that as he matures he will hold his ground better, but as of right now, sometimes he brings that energy, other days he doesn’t and he get lost in his frustration. I’m not saying I want Blake to play great every single game, but to play with energy. I simply don’t get the games in which it feels like he is not even trying.

How can anyone argue with TNT guys if Blake is still displaying this type of performance? Again, it’s not about stats, it’s about the energy. It’s night and day the difference in performance when Blake plays with energy and when he doesn’t.

In the beginning of the season he had no energy and then, there was that Player of the Week stretch in which he showed the energy and then he started to cool down and then, the mini-slump, but also a low energy effort from him but I liked his energy a little better in the last game, hopefully he can carry on from that.

JaySee

He’s an older, more crazy, but more talented Matt Barnes. But Matt Barnes is a team player.

bobby

OH HALLELUJAH. finally a much needed injection of toughness for our marshmellow squad….i’m starting to BELIEVE.

We gotta find a way to keep him around in case memphis crawls back into the playoffs. He’ll keep our guys from being scared!